The Favorite Child
by RaisingGinger1025
Summary: Oneshot: The young turtles fight over who EXACTLY Splinter's favorite kid is. My summary's not the best in the world, I'll tell ya that, but it's a good little story! :) Brotherly fluff! :) In this, the turtles are about seven years old :) DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TMNT


**This was an argument I remember having with my sister when I was a little younger. We would tease my oldest sister, saying that she was the favorite one and teasing her behind her back. **

**I feel guilty now, but back then I had no remorse whatsoever...just as IrishPrincess7678!**

**So I came up with this little oneshot about the three brothers when they're little talkin' about Leo and how he's the "leader" of the group. Again, they're kids so their thoughts are going to be absolutely irrational!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TMNT! IT'S OWNED BY (I believe) NICKELODEON NOW! *sigh***

**P.S. This is my take on how Raph maybe thought up Leo's famous nickname "Splinter Junior". :D**

* * *

Raph huffed and growled as his little fists hit the big, red punching bag in the quietness of the dojo.

"It's not fair!" he mumbled after every hit. "Leo's so perfect at everything, making the rest of us look bad!"

Raphael and the rest of his seven-year old brothers had finished their morning session of training a couple of minutes ago, and in Raph's opinion, it was the worst one of his life!

Master Splinter said his kicks were too sloppy. Mikey's punches were weak. Donnie was slow. But OF COURSE Leo gets praised. "Very good, Leonardo!" or "Excellent work, Leonardo. Great footing." His brother was EXACTLY LIKE MASTER SPLINTER! It wasn't fair. He was the strongest one, not Leo or Mikey or Donnie. Sure, maybe he didn't add up to much right now, but someday he'd be ten times better than Leo, and soon he'd be the favorite.

"Ugh! He's such a...a...a...SPLINTER JUNIOR!" he growled, kicking the punching bag with more power. Wait, what had he said? Splinter Junior? Where had that come from? But...it WOULD be a good nickname. That's it! It's a new nickname!

Raph was actually pleased with his new nickname for Leo: it fit Leo's character, a perfectionist (whatever that exactly meant), and he was always praised by their father.

Raph growled at this conclusion as he finally stopped punching the bag, catching his breath from the amount of hits he just did. To his complete surprise, the punching bag didn't fall over: it stayed in place, only lightly swinging from the amount of hits it received. Raph then stomped towards the living room, plopping on the couch next to Mikey, who was happily reading another "Justice Force" comic.

"Hey, where's Splinter Junior?" Raph asked, wanting to show off his new nickname.

"Where's who, now?" Mikey asked, now looking at his hot-tempered brother with confusion.

"Splinter Junior? You know, Leo."

"Oh, he's meditating with Daddy, I think. Splinter Junior?" Mikey asked, listening to the nickname as it rolled off his tongue.

Raph grinned. "You like it? I just thought it up myself! I just thought since he was Splinter's favorite, he should get the same name, except different!"

Mikey giggled before looking at him, confused. "Leo's Splinter's favorite?" he asked in both shock and realization. Leo got praised a lot because he was so good ninjitsu, but him being the FAVORITE? Mikey REALLY should've seen it coming

"No he's not." a voice replied matter-of-factlty. Raph and Mikey sat up on the couch to see their other brother, Donatello, carrying a book and glaring at the two of them.

"It helps, though!" Mikey replied, sitting back down and reading his comic book again.

Raph, though, glared as his smart brother. "Oh yeah? How would you know, Einstein?"

"If Leo was Splinter's favorite, which he's not, don't you think Splinter would treat us different? He would have thrown us out of the house!" Donnie let that sink in between his two brothers before stating, with less enthusiasm. "But maybe he is.."

Raph pointed his small finger at Donatello. "See? Told ya! Even YOU agree! Leo's the favorite, and their ain't nothin' we can do about it!"

"No, I'm just saying-"

"You're just saying that he is the favorite child!" Raph interupted, hopping off the couch and standing face-to-face with his brother.

"He loves us all, Raph." Donnie growled, shoving his brother away from his face.

"Yeah, well he loves Leo a little more!" Raph replied, shoving his brother.

"Guys, we don't need to fight about this!" Mikey suddenly said, putting down his comic and walking in between his brothers, holding his arms out so they'd have the same distance from each other. It wasn't that far considering his arms weren't too big, but long enough so his two brothers wouldn't fight. After waiting till they calmed down, Mikey then added,

"Besides, I'm the favorite one."

And that did it. Raph moved Mikey's arm and tackled him, pinning him to the ground as Donnie then jumped on him, pushing Raph off Mikey and punching his face. As they all fought, each little turtle shrieked,

"I'm the favorite one!"

"I'm the smart one, so I'm better!"

"I'm the cute one, though!"

"SHUT UP, MIKEY!"

"I'm tougher-"

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" a voice suddenly yelled, seeming to freeze time. As the three turtles froze to catch their breath, each found themselves either bruised, slightly crying, or both (Mikey was mostly both)

They all looked to the left to see their beloved father, Master Splinter, glaring down at them. Their older brother, Leo, peaking his head behind Splinter to see what had happened.

Splinter asked again. "What is the meaning of this? You all are fighting?"

Raph was the first one to stand up and speak. "Master Splinter, we weren't fighting!"

"Oh, really?" Splinter asked, walking towards Raphael and glaring down at him, amused. "Then what is this, Raphael?"

"Sparring!" the orange-bandana turtle replied, helping Donnie stand up. Splinter looked at the two of them, trying to detect a lie. From Michaelangelo's look, it did not appear to be a lie.

Donatello, however...

"Donatello," Splinter then said, motioning his son to come forward. Donnie, reluctantly, came before his father.

"Yes, daddy?"

"I want you to tell me the truth: were you sparring?" Splinter asked carefully, watching Donnie's face as he appeared to be thinking of a response.

Donnie felt the room go hotter. Did someone break the AC again? He had already fixed it six times this month, but he rather enjoyed it. He looked at Mikey, who was carefully watching him, seeing how Donnie would respond. Raph gave him a death glare: _tell the truth or your dead, you little bookworm, _his look seemed to say.

Leo, being the only quiet and innocent one, patiently waited for Donnie to talk. He gave Donnie a small, sympathetic smile. Donnie then looked at this father, who was looking down at him. He felt like his father's eyes were looking deep into his soul, searching for the answer so Donnie didn't have to speak.

Donnie took a deep breath. "Well," he began. His hands were trembling. He looked once again at Leo, and he remembered what he had said to Raph.

_He loves us all, Raph. _

_Yeah? Well he just loves Leo a little more._

Donnie couldn't take it. "Why's he your favorite?!" he suddenly exclaimed, covering his mouth after the words slipped out. Mikey slowly went to hide behind Raph. Raph was curiously looking at Donnie, a mixture of anger and confusion in his look. Leo just stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Who is my favorite, Donatello?"

"Leo!" Donnie exclaimed, pointing a finger at his older brother. "You're always treating him differently! You act as if he's the better turtle and we're not!" Donnie was surprised to find himself crying. "Today in sparring, I thought I finally did a really good move. You always told me that if I kept practicing, I'd get better! Well, I did and I thought this morning I was going to make you so proud of me, but you told me I was slow! All day you've complemented Leo! And it's not fair!" he stomped his foot, feeling himself crying and crying more.

Leo looked at his younger brother, a wave of guilt rushing through his seven year old body. _Did his brothers really think that? Was Leo really praised THAT much?_ But Leo silently waited for his daddy's verdict. It wasn't true, was it?

Splinter knealt down and pulled the purple-bandana turtle to him, letting him cry into his robe. He then looked at his other sons. "Is that what this is all about, my sons?" Mikey and Raph looked at each other before nodding sadly, looking down at the ground.

The old rat smiled. "My sons," he slowly stood up and held Donnie by the shoulders, forcing him to look up at him. "I may compliment Leo for his tequniques, but that does not mean anything. It does not change my love for all of you."

"But it's like we're not...good enough." Donnie hiccuped, Mikey and Raph nodding in agreement.

"What about yesterday, when I told Mikey that his backflips were much better. Did you all feel any rejection?" Donnie and Raph shook their heads. Splinter looked at Leo, who also shook his head. "Or what about the day before when I told you, Donatello, that your high kicks were very, very strong? Did you all feel any rejection then?" Once again, the answer was no. "Everyday you four are getting better and better in your training, but that does not mean you never mess up or not be training as well as you should. My master Yoshi had many days like those, but he learned to move on and continue practicing."

"But Leo always gets a complement as our sessions!" Raph replied, sending a glare towards his older brother.

"Perhaps Leo may be a little more ready than the rest of you, but that is because he trains even after the session is over. He works to become better, and he may be a little more advanced at some things than the rest of you, but that does not mean he is better than you. You are all still young, and you all have many, many things to learn."

Splinter let that sink in, smiling at the look of relief and guilt on the faces of his four sons. "And just because Leonardo spends a little more time with me does not mean he is better than the rest of you. I love you all so, so much. Never forget that." The four turtles smiled and nodded at their master, relieved that their really wasn't a "favorite" child. Although Raph still felt a little envy, he decided to let it go. He can always take it out on the punching bag, which was suddenly calling his name again.

Splinter, once satisfied that the misunderstanding was over, cleared his throat. "I shall be back in the room meditating. If any of you should need me, I shall be there."

"Can I go with you?" Leo asked as Splinter walked by.

"Leonardo," Splinter replied with a smile, "I want you to go practice with your wooden katanas."

Leonardo bowed. "Hai, Sensai." Splinter then went into his room, feeling a sign of relief wash over him. He had no idea his sons felt that way, but he was glad it was cleared up now. So now he could meditate in peace.

As Leonardo walked past his brothers, he heard Raph whisper to Mikey.

"I don't care what dad says: he'll always be Splinter Junior." Mikey giggled as he went back on the couch to finish his comic book. Raph walked back in the dojo, leaving Leo and Donnie. Leo smiled at his brother, who grinned back at him before running to his room, book in hand.

As Leo walked to get his swords, he thought about what he heard. _Splinter Junior? What's that, my new nickname?_

He sighed as he began his fighting technique. _Oh well, I guess. _

_At least he wasn't being called the "favorite child"._

* * *

**OK! That was my attempt at a TMNT oneshot (go easy on me!) It was long for a oneshot, but I've read longer. **

**At least I didn't say it was a short story! :)**

**Thanks to IrishPrincess7678, my amazayn cousin, who helped me out with this! She probably gets this a lot better than I do! ;)**

**So thanks for reading! Please review, I'd love to hear what yall think! XD**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**-Gingerr**


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